A horse-collar tackle is a defensive move used in American football to stop a ball-carrying player. The defender grabs the back of the shoulder pads or jersey collar of the ball-carrying player and pulls the player to the ground. Because the tackled player falls in a backward twisting motion, one or both legs can be caught under the weight of the tackled player's body potentially resulting in injury. The potential for injuries can be further exacerbated if the player's foot becomes caught in the turf and/or by the impact and weight of the defender's body. Possible injuries to the tackled player include sprains or tears to ligaments in the knees and ankles including the ACL and MCL and fractures of the tibia and fibula.
Because of the injury risk associated with the horse-collar tackle, the National Football League banned the horse-collar tackle after the 2005 season. In 2006, the NCAA outlawed the tackle, and in 2009, the National Federation of State High School Associations followed suit. The use of a horse-collar tackle during game play results in a 15-yard penalty due to personal foul.
Even with the horse-collar tackle ban in place, the horse-collar tackle continues to occur in game play. Coaches, teams or individual players may strategically decide that a 15-yard penalty is preferable to allowing the opposing team a scoring opportunity. Also, inadvertent horse-collar tackles may still occur in the confusion or excitement of a game. As such, offensive players are still at risk of a horse-collar tackle and the related injuries. Therefore, a need exists for athletic safety equipment that prevents horse-collar tackles and protects a player from the possible injuries associated with being the recipient of such a maneuver.